Tag Archives: Church

Pastors24

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Today, Wednesday October 27, a bunch of us pastors “tweeted” everything we did throughout the day so that folks could “see” what it is that we “do” all day.  If you’d like to just get a snapshot at what I do as a pastor on this Wendnesday, you can check out these tweets.

You can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/revandys
Or be my friend on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rev.andys
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

enjoyed #pastors24. Now off to bed.
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

Just finished teaching bible study and meeting with folks about how Asbury can really impact Petal. I love this church #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

table set up done. emailing some church folks right now. also, drinking coffee #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

putting our tables and chairs for our family meal tonight #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

Setting up my computer for my small group tonight #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

Great lunch with a friend. Thankful for friends in the journey#pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

dropping a book off for my children’s director and going to eat lunch with some fellow pastors #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

Taking Thomas to the sitters and sending out an email to the church#pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

working on the church website #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

staff meeting and worship planning over. have i mentioned that I work with an awesome team? #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

Staff meeting #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

oh and setting up a lunch meeting with a mentor for next month.#pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

looking over some notes for a meeting tonight about @asburypetal‘s local mission center. #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

continuing my search for the best/cheapest way to bulk sms church folk #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

@
@tapdraw I’m not sure that counts. #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

talking with a young couple about getting their newborn baptized#pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

just had a conversation about baccalaureate service 2011. Yeah, that’s called planning. LOL. #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

in the office, responding to emails and making some phone calls#pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

just sent an email out setting up a conversation with a church member later this morning #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

I just sent out a morning devotional to everyone that is part of my email devotion list #pastors24
Andy Stoddard

revandys Andy Stoddard

I’m taking part in the #pastors24 today. I’ll be tweeting out everything I do, along with other pastors. See what it is that we “do!”

No Lone Rangers

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One of characters that we look at as a “hero” is the Lone Ranger. Kids that don’t know who that is, think of Batman, sort of, as a cowboy.

He’s a true hero. He rides in to save the day.  He’s out there all alone, and doesn’t need any help.  He can do it all alone.  He doesn’t have a team, he doesn’t have a partner, he doesn’t need anyone.

It’s just him against the world.

That’s not the way Jesus wants us to do it. That’s not the way that Jesus wants us to live. That’s not the way that Jesus wants us to serve.

We see how he sends His disciples out to do ministry today in Luke’s Gospel:

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go

He sent out a lot of folks to be His witnesses, but notice what He did.

He sent them out two by two. He sent them out in pairs.  He knew He was sending them out to do some tough stuff. As we read the text, we see that they will have real challenges and real trials.  We see that it would not always be easy.

We see they were not supposed to be alone in this. So Jesus sent them out together.

We need each other. We need each other’s support and help. We need each other’s strength.  We need each other’s encouragement.

We need each other.

We need support.  We need friends.  We need our team.

We need church.

You were not created to live alone.  You were created to be in relationship with God, and with others.

You were not made to be the Lone Ranger.

Today, let folks into your life.  Love and be loved.  Care and let others care for you.  Support and let others support you.

You were made for this.  You were made to be loved.

A Little Help from My Friends

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One of the things I really enjoy seeing in the book of Acts is to see all the folks involved in the spreading of the Gospel.

It starts off with the 12 Disciples. Then we see Stephen.  Then Paul. But, Paul is not the end.

Barnabas strengthens Paul. Paul goes all over the world preaching. Timothy enters in. Silas.  John Mark. So many people.

Priscilla and Aquila, so man others.

The cool thing about this, to me, is that none of the people in Acts that God uses to spread the Gospel could have done it alone. They each needed each other’s help. The each needed the encouragement that they could receive from each other.

And, they each needed to encourage one another. We see this play out today in Acts 18:

26 He (Apollos) began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately.

Apollos was doing some great things. But, it wasn’t until Priscilla and Aquila helped him out a little, that he was able to do greater things for God.

And, Priscilla and Aquila would not have been there if not for Paul. Paul would not have been there if not for Barnabas. Barnabas would not have been there if not for the work of the Disciples.

They needed each other.

So, today, two questions. What are you trying to do today that you simply can’t do by yourself?  What are you trying to do that is going to take help?  These burdens get heavy if we don’t have help.  What do you need help with today?

And second, who do you need to help?  Who is carrying a burden that you can help lift? Who is doing something that you know you can help them with?

In Acts, God used the people working together. Today, how does God want us to work together, for His glory?

BaseCamp – Day One

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Instead of daily reflection on scripture the next few days, I’m going to write  a quick review of BaseCamp of the previous day.  Yesterday, me and my crew of teens went out after breakfast and morning worship to work.   I have a crew of kids that didn’t know each other.  They were from different towns, different churches, had different personalities, they were just all different from each other.

And, at first, it was a little ackward.  It’s tough not knowing folks and trying to figure out what to do.

And then, we went to work. And these four young folks went to work and worked HARD in the middle of the Mississippi summer.  And I was very proud of them.

And it reminds me of something that I know to be true, but I’ve seen over and over again.  When people, churches, people, families have no mission, no purpose, no vision, we will fuss. We will fight a little.  We might not get along.

But, when we have a mission to be about, we focus on that, and we see great things happen.  When we work together on a mission.

So, as individuals, as members of a church, what is your mission?  What is the mission of your church?  Where do you fit?  What are you doing for that mission?

We all have a part to play, we all have something we can do for that mission.

Today, may we find out where we fit in that, and may we be about the mission God has given us.

Acolyte and/or preacher in Training

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Sarah wanted to help me light the candles before church tonight